Cambridge footballer Luke Brooke-Smith has become one of the youngest players to debut for the All Whites.
All White 645 – Luke Brooke-Smith
Brooke-Smith became All White No. 645 when he took the field against Australia in the second leg of the two-match Soccer Ashes at Go Media Stadium last week, won by Australia.
He was 17 years and 93 days old and became the youngest debutant for the men’s national team since Ceri Evans in 1980.
New Zealand’s youngest international was Robbie ten Broeke who was 16 years and 341 days old when he played against Iran in September 1976.
Brooke-Smith was called into the New Zealand squad for the games against Australia as a replacement for injured 35-cap Liberato Cacace.
Both are graduates of Ricki Herbert’s RH3 Football Academy, now based in Cambridge.
“Making the All Whites squad at 17 is a magnificent achievement for Luke,” said Herbert, who played 61 games for the All Whites before becoming the national coach.
“It’s no accident he’s reached full international level so soon, as he’s always been willing to work hard and challenge himself with every opportunity.”
Brooke-Smith’s team captain was All Whites striker Chris Wood, another player who started his senior career with Cambridge before becoming one of the top goal scorers in the English Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
Brooke-Smith joined the RH3 academy in 2018 when he was 10, and benefitted from travelling with touring teams to Australia and within New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Luke Brooke-Smith celebrates a goal with New Zealand’s Luka Vicelich at the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship, Final, New Zealand v Fiji, Stade Pater, Papeete, Saturday 10 August 2024. Photo: DJ Mills / www.phototek.nz
He made his senior club debut for Cambridge when he was 15 and moved to Hamilton Wanderers to play men’s national league nine months later.
Luke Brooke-Smith
He attended St Peter’s School, Cambridge in year 7 and 8 and studied at Cambridge High School from year 9 until last year, when he left to enrol in a distance learning programme with Te Kura.
In August last year, he signed a professional contract with A-League club Wellington Phoenix and became their youngest first team player when he made his A-League debut in December 2024, aged 16 years and 199 days.
Herbert says while Brooke-Smith has become a household name in New Zealand, he hasn’t forgotten his footballing roots and continues to support the sport in the Waikato.
An example was his recent attendance at an under 14 girls’ tournament in Hamilton, where Brooke-Smith volunteered to run the sideline as an assistant referee.
Next up for Brooke-Smith is the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Chile, where he’ll represent New Zealand.
He’s also eligible to play for New Zealand at the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in Qatar in November.
Luke Brooke-Smith training.
And, of course, he’s pushing for inclusion in the All Whites’ squad to contest the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley says Brooke-Smith is “a really exciting prospect.”
“I think the challenge for him now is he needs to have a really big season, down at the Phoenix,” Bazeley says.
“Hopefully he’s after that breakout season, and scores goals and plays a lot of minutes, which is up to him.
“What we’ve seen in him is that he’s a little bit different to any other players we have. He does have a bit of pace. He does like to take people on. That’s something that we’re probably missing in our squad.
“He’s a little bit of a wild card.”
Our new international came home to help at a junior tournament in Hamilton. Photo Rachel Lilburn.
